Joseph Kony 2012: Invisible Children Hits Back at Slurs

The Invisible Children's Kony 2012 campaign has been hit by a backlash amid accusations ranging from misinformation to lack of transparency.

The Kony 2102 campaign has been watched on the internet by more than 46 million people across the world. The film aims to raise awareness of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel army in east and central Africa and its leader Joseph Kony.

Kony is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court but has managed to escape justice.

The LRA is a Ugandan Christian militia that has become more violent since it was launched in the 1980s. It has terrorised northern Uganda for 20 years and led to the displacement of an estimated two million people.

The group has kidnapped tens of thousands of children who have been used to fight for it as soldiers or turned into sex slaves.

US-based charity Invisible Children's film was a hit within hours but now faces a backlash with accusations of misrepresenting the LRA situation.

The film focuses on Uganda but the LRA fled the country in 2006 and has since focused attacks on Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan.

"To call the campaign a misrepresentation is an understatement. While it draws attention to the fact that Kony is still on the loose, its portrayal of alleged crimes in northern Uganda is from a bygone era.", award-winning Ugandan journalist Angelo Izama said.

The organisation calls for the backing of the Ugandan army but analysts and human rights activists have warned against the army's poor human rights record.

Other criticisms surround alleged lack of transparency within Invisible Children, especially over spending. Last year it spent about £5.5m but only £1.7m of that went directly to helping people on the ground.

As the backlash grows the NGO has hit back. It said it divides its spending into three areas: making documentary films, its advocacy campaign, and work on the ground.

"This three-pronged approach is what makes Invisible Children unique. We do all three at the same time. This comprehensive model is intentional and has shown to be very effective," said the organisation.

It also defended its support of Ugandan troops. "We do not defend any of the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Ugandan government or the Ugandan army. None of the money donated through Invisible Children ever goes to the government of Uganda. Yet the only feasible way to stop Kony and protect civilians he targets is to coordinate efforts with regional governments".

The Obama administration has backed the work of Invisible Children and praised the viral internet campaign.

Jay Carney, White House press secretary, congratulated the "hundreds of thousands of Americans who have mobilised to this unique crisis of conscience".

"This viral video is raising awareness about the horrific activities of the LRA," he said. "It is consistent with the bipartisan legislation passed in 2010 [in which] the United States continues to pursue a comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy to help the governments and people of Central Africa in their efforts to end the threat posed by the LRA and reduce the human consequences of the LRA's atrocities."